


Two Halves

by KatsInSpace



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatsInSpace/pseuds/KatsInSpace
Summary: It isn’t until years after Stanford that Chuck discovers that his soulmate had been protecting him all along.





	Two Halves

Chuck has always known his soulmark ever since he was born. He'd always stare at the gentle curves of a feather's silhouette. He would often wonder who would be the one wearing the same mark as him.

He'd always wonder how much they'd be disappointed to find out he was their soulmate.

Chuck, while hopeful, had felt insecure about it. So he had kept to wearing a watch on his left wrist to hide it. 

A couple years into his adult life, he still had not known who his soulmate was. Whenever he'd meet someone, he'd always glance at their wrists, curious to see if they wore it.

And whenever he'd see a bare wrist, he couldn't help but be disappointed. 

Over time, he became discouraged in finding his soulmate. 

Which never really mattered in the first place. While he was curious who his soulmate was, he had always hoped that this one person would be it.   
  
-.-   
  
"Bryce is alive?”

Chuck's eyes are wide in shock. He hadn't expected to see him again. After seeing his face in the obituary, Chuck thought that seeing Bryce would be impossible. Which should have been since he was supposed to be dead.

"What- what did he say?" He stuttered.

Sarah shook her head, shrugging. "He only wants to speak to you.”

Chuck's heart skipped a beat. ' _Only me?_ '   
  
-.-   
  
Chuck peered into the room, hands shaking. He is both excited and nervous to see his old friend again.

"Ready?" Casey asked.

Chuck shook his head shakily.

"Too bad," he opened the door. "Get in.” 

Chuck took a shaky breath as he was shoved into the white room. He spares a glance at the door which had been slammed shut. He looks back into the room.

Chuck sees Bryce cuffed to the table. He had been staring blankly in front of him, a hard expression on his face. 

"Bryce?" Chuck called out hesitantly. "It's me, Chuck, your friend from Stanford."

Bryce didn't bother to look up as he spoke. "You're lying," he said harshly. "You're not Chuck."

Chuck stared at Bryce with hurt. The man didn't believe him. Before, he would have. He thought in horror at the things they could have done to him. 

"It  _ is _ me," Chuck relented, stepping closer to Bryce. "Don't you remember all the late nights we had? Every moment we spent together?"

Bryce looks back up at Chuck, seeming to still not believe him. "Prove it," he uttered out a phrase in Klingon.

It took Chuck a moment but he gave back an answer.

Bryce smiled, and it's that amazing feeling Chuck felt, that made him feel as though they were at Stanford again, that made everything worth it. "You're a bit rusty, Chuck," Bryce joked a little.

But Chuck can't get himself to reply, he's too ecstatic from seeing Bryce again. He smiles back at him, hardly able to catch his breath. "Hey," he weakly stuttered out.

"How have you been?"

"Me?" Chuck asked in disbelief. "What about you? How are you even alive!" He doesn't really care, he's grateful either way.

Bryce's expression turns grim, pausing for a moment. " _ They _ brought me back." His explanation turns vague, confusing Chuck. But it ends with Bryce holding Chuck hostage with a needle held to his neck.

But for some reason, Chuck doesn't feel any fear whatsoever. It was odd.

But not really.

Chuck knew why. And he also had a feeling that a certain picture had something to do with it. 

Bryce dropped his hand that held the needle once the elevator doors close. He loosens his hold on Chuck, giving him some room to move. But Chuck couldn't help but keep staring at Bryce's wrist. The now bare wrist usually had Bryce's watch on it, but now, it doesn't.

"You knew I wouldn't do it, right?" Bryce asked with a smile.

But Chuck couldn't bring himself to answer. All he could do was stare at Bryce's wrist.

"Chuck?" Bryce asks, frowning a little at his silence. He waves his hand in front of him. "You okay?"

"You-" Chuck barely just managed. "Your wrist," he sounded breathless.

Bryce just glances down at his wrist, not seeming to be bothered that it was now shown off. He raises the hand the mark was on. "You mean my soul mark? What's wrong with it?"

"It's a feather!" Chuck exclaims.  _ His _ feather! Bryce is  _ his _ soulmate! He couldn't believe it, it can't be true.

Bryce just stared at him, not knowing what he was getting at. 

Chuck rushed to slip off his watch, fumbling while doing it. Once bare, he rose his wrist and showed Bryce. 

"Your-" Bryce trailed off, not knowing what to say. "I, we-"

"Soulmates," Chuck breathes out, tinging red. "We're soulmates."

A small grin appeared on Bryce's face. "Yeah?" He breathed out.

Chuck nods. He just gazes at Bryce, unsure what to do. He licks his lips as he stares at Bryce's for just a moment. He gulps nervously as he flick his eyes back up at the other's.

It was only then that Chuck noticed how close Bryce was. "Bry-" he barely managed out, seeing the other leaning in closer. He closes his eyes in anticipation. 

"Is this okay?" Chuck could hear Bryce whisper, breath brushing against his lips.

Chuck leans in, in lieu of answering. He immediately feels a response from the man. He clumsily kisses him back, hesitantly wrapping his arms around him. Chuck feels Bryce's hands on his waist.

Chuck wanted this to last forever. He loved the feeling of Bryce's embrace, lips against his own. He missed him so much.

Of course, this wouldn't last forever. The elevator slowed and they were soon interrupted. 

Bryce holds him again, pretending Chuck was his hostage. It's a man he doesn't recognize and flashes, seeing the name Fulcrum. 

When he asks him about it, Bryce says, with panic in his voice. "Why do you know that word?"

"The uh, this," he taps his head with his finger, slightly confused. He didn't know what Fulcrum was but he was assuming it's something very bad.

Bryce let out a sigh of relief, staring at him with wonder. Chuck asks a few more questions but never gets the answer. 

"I'll meet you later Chuck," Bryce mumbled against his lips, giving a brief kiss.

"What-?" Chuck doesn't get the chance to finish. He lets out a small gasp when he feels something prick his neck. He quickly realizes Bryce has pressed the needle into him.

He fades into unconsciousness.   
  
-.- Two Halves -.-   
  
Chuck doesn't know what to think when he sees Bryce again during Thanksgiving dinner. He had been retrieving the marshmallows from his nerd herder when he had heard him.

"Chuck."

Chuck turns, seeing Bryce walk out and into plain view. "Bryce," he said excitedly, taking a few steps closer. "Hi." Despite the part where Bryce knocked him out with a needle, he was still very happy to see him.

"You live here?"

"Yeah, with Ellie," he tells him.

And instead of commenting, he says, "Listen, Chuck, I need to talk to Sarah."

"What?" Chuck asked, a little hurt. After their intimate moment in the elevator, was Bryce really not going to acknowledge it? "Why?" For what reason did he need to talk to Sarah for? "Why can't you just talk to me about it?"

"Do you think I'm rogue?"

"Of course not."

"But Sarah and Casey seem to think so," Bryce tells him. "And considering my last encounter with Casey, he's less likely to listen than Sarah is."

Chuck furrowed his eyebrows. "Last encounter?" He remembered Bryce taunting Casey, saying "care to try again," but he hadn't understood what he meant. But he had a bad feeling about the meaning behind his words.

"He was the one who was supposed to be guarding the Intersect, Chuck," Bryce answered vaguely. 

But he still knew what Bryce meant. Chuck narrowed his eyes. 

"Don't worry about it Chuck," Bryce attempts to calm him down. He steps closer. "You're squeezing the poor marshmallows too much," he put his hand on his.

Chuck relaxed his grip, flushing red from both embarrassment and nervousness. He glances down at the squished marshmallows. 

"Can you get Sarah to talk to me?"

Chuck, reluctantly, answers, "Yeah, okay. Out here?"

"Your room, if that's alright."   
  
-.-   
  
They somehow end up in Casey's apartment, Bryce's shirt off as he explains everything. Casey, after confirming that Bryce didn't have any other weapon, hesitantly listens to his story. 

After deciding that they'd be going to the Buy More so Bryce can turn himself in, they're all sent their separate ways, needing to rest up for the day after. Chuck glances back at Bryce for a moment, who had been forced to stay with Casey, so he could ensure he doesn't run off. 

Chuck's in bed, wearing his pajamas, eyes closed and lights off. He's almost into dreamland when he hears someone call out to him.

"Chuck."

Chuck frowns, looking up sleepily to see who interrupted his sleep. "Bryce?" He asked, confusion in his voice.

"Mind if I stay here?"

Chuck moves over, letting Bryce in with him. "Aren't you supposed to be in Casey's apartment?" 

"Yes, but he tied me up and left me on the couch," he explained. "As you can imagine, it wasn't very comfortable."

Chuck wasn't even going to question how he got out, especially from being tied up. So he just let it go and shrugged, closing his eyes again. As he falls asleep, he can feel Bryce hugging him close.   
  
-.-   
  
When Chuck wakes up, he faintly remembers being woken up again when Casey had dragged Bryce back out again. 

Chuck gets ready for the day, mentally preparing himself to say goodbye to Bryce once again. He just got to see him again, along with finally realizing they're soulmates, but they can't even spend some time together? Chuck thinks that's very unfair. Then again, it's the CIA, it's never been fair with them.   
  
-.-   
  
Chuck sees Bryce standing in front of the tvs, alone. He couldn't help himself but go over to him. To possibly speak with him for the last time. 

"Need any help finding something?" He asks, so no one would be the wiser. 

"They look fantastic," Bryce commented, looking over from the tvs. 

But Chuck knows he can't keep pretending. "Bryce," he says, looking at him with a desperate look. "Is this the last time I'll ever see you again?" 

Bryce was quiet at first. "I don't know," he tells him honestly. "I'm just glad I finally found my soulmate in you."

Chuck sighs. He's going to miss him so much.

"Bryce," Sarah spoke softly, lightly touching his arm. 

Bryce looked at her for a moment before looking back at Chuck. "It was nice seeing you again," he extended his hand. 

Chuck took his hand, pulling him into a hug. "I'll miss you."

Bryce hugs him back.    
  
-.-   
  
It turns out, Bryce isn't gone for that long as he and Sarah come running back, just in time to fight Tommy and his goons. They almost have everyone until he himself is taken by Tommy and held hostage.

It's unlike the time Bryce held him. This time, there's fear because Chuck knows this guy will actually hurt him. And that bulletproof vest he took won't help when the gun is pointed to his head. 

Bryce and Sarah are in front of him, guns pointed at Tommy who still held onto him.

Things go by quickly. Chuck can't really keep track of everything, he only knows that Bryce asks him "Vest or no vest" in Klingon and he replies back with "vest."

The next thing he knows, he's on the ground, severe pain in his chest from the knockback. He's soon coughing, gasping for air with Sarah right next to him and Bryce smiling down at him. Chuck smiles back at him. 

They help him up and remove the bullet proof vest off of him. Chuck watches as Bryce is called back to the movie theater alone.

"What do you think is happening in there?" He asked impatiently, staring at it longingly as he waited for Bryce to come back out. 

"Most likely discussing what they'll do with him," Casey answers him. 

Chuck starts to panic. "Nothing bad, right?" When Casey doesn't say anything, Chuck starts to panic even more. "It won't be bad, right Sarah?"

"After what happened? It's unlikely."

Chuck breathed out a sigh of relief. "So he'll be okay," he tells himself.

When Bryce comes out a few minutes later, Chuck is desperately trying to read his expression, wanting to prepare himself in case it was bad news. But his expression is unreadable.

"So what happens now?" Chuck asked nervously.

Bryce was quiet at first. "Did you show Beckman and Graham your soulmark?" 

Chuck isn't sure where this is going, but he answers, "I had to, why?"

"They have decided that I'm better suited here."

It takes a moment for Chuck to register what Bryce had said. "Wait, really?" He asks, trying to hold back his eagerness in case he mistook what Bryce had told him. 

Bryce nods, a smile on his face. He takes his hand. "Meet your new fiancé Chuck," he rests his free hand on his wrist, where his soulmark is placed. "Burbank is officially my place of residence and I'll be returning here in between missions."

Chuck deflated a little when he heard that. He thought Bryce would be here all the time, but he supposes that will be good enough.

"We'll find a place after I get back next week."

"You're leaving?" Chuck stared at him with a hurt expression. He didn't want Bryce to leave so soon after finding him again.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" He reassures him. "I'll be here before you know it."

Chuck sighs, knowing neither of them had any choice in the matter. "I'll be waiting."

**Author's Note:**

> Comment please. Criticism welcome. Tumblr: Katsinspaxe


End file.
